


It Meant Everything to Me

by Simon_says_fly



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/F, Heartbreak, Not a Happy Story, Not a part of the HHA, What Was I Thinking?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-10-27
Packaged: 2018-10-13 18:57:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10519815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Simon_says_fly/pseuds/Simon_says_fly
Summary: Why did they think that saying, it meant nothing to me, is a valid explanation for an excuse of wrongdoing?  It might not have meant anything to them, but if I'm this upset, it must've meant something to me.Actions have consequences... and they don't get to choose. Not anymore.





	1. What Happened?

**Author's Note:**

> I've had a really, really bad day. I wanted to continue writing more chapters for There's an App for That, but this is all that was inside of me. Even the Power Rangers movie couldn't cheer me up... and I thought it was great. 
> 
> Maybe with this out of my system, a Supergirl worthy sunshine smile can come back. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy a little bit of darkness. 
> 
> Also... I don't have a Beta. I try to go over the work to catch any mistakes, but you can only read the same words over and over again so many times.

Lucy was worried. 

No. 

That wasn't right. 

Being honest with herself, Lucy was on the verge of having a complete "Housewives of Gotham City" hissy-fit meltdown. Yeah. That was a much better description. For probably the hundredth time in the past seventeen... now eighteen minutes since she had ended the call from Kara, Lucy had checked the time on the antique cuckoo clock hanging on her living room wall that she'd stolen from her sister's apartment several years previous. Not enough time had passed. 

One of the best friends she'd made in National City, but more honest with herself - one of the best friends Lucy had ever had in her entire life, had called her out of the blue, now twenty-one minutes ago, apparently extremely upset and begging for someplace to hide... the unspoken request being to hide... with Lucy; at her house, just recently rented in a nice little suburb not too far outside of Fawcett City. She had said yes, of course. Her friend apparently needed her... and as that Kara was also National City's own Supergirl, the travel time from the California Coast to middle-of-nowhere Wisconsin should have her arriving shortly.

For lack of her having any patience left, especially when sitting still and only going to grow more and more crazy about what might be going on, Lucy rose and went to her small house's kitchen for something to do. There was some assorted fruits in the bowl on the small table shoved against the wall to the right, which she ignored, and instead checked the small pantry, finally moving to the refrigerator; all of which held food... but maybe not enough to feed the Kryptonian. 

Where were the delivery menus? Not that there were as many options available as would be within an actual city, but pizza and Chinese deliveries were universal. Weren't they?

Lucy opened the drawer next to the sinks and pulled out the menus and spread them out on the table. Her approaching guest still unaccounted for in the... twenty seven minutes now, she pulled a tube of prepackaged chocolate chip cookies out and carefully placed them on the cookie sheet while the oven preheated. Something sweet might help.

She considered looking at the time again when her door finally sounded with a rapid pounding, so much more than a knock. Lucy almost sprinted to the door in order to yank it open to get to Kara. In the mere seconds she had to taken in the sight of Kara, Lucy felt all breath leave her lungs and she knew that some catastrophe of epic proportions, at least to her friend, since she hadn't heard of anything on the news nor had any of her sources contacted her, had occurred.

The younger Danvers looked horrible. She had to have flown in the civilian clothing she currently wore because there was no way she'd just changed from her suit into the horrible looking clothing she currently was sporting. Her hair was completely wind blown and looked to have dried during flight... wasn't rain reported around the Dakota's? Her eyes looked haunted and were red from crying. And then there was no more time for observation because Kara was in Lucy's arms, somehow smaller... lesser... and it was all Lucy could do to spin her around in her arms in order to kick her front door closed and pull the blonde into her, to protect her. Lucy kept her arms around the younger woman, trying to calm the shivering, shaking hero that had sought her out. It was almost unreal; the normally stoic and indomitable paragon of justice was not here. No, here was Kara, in her arms, and Kara was crying her heart out.

No.

That wasn't right, either.

Kara's heart was breaking... or had been broken... and Lucy was going to destroy whoever had done it, she vowed silently to herself.

"Shhhh." Lucy cooed. "Let it out. You're here. You're safe. I've got you."

It seemed to be the right thing to offer as the blonde woman seemed to calm with each word - the more platitudes Lucy offered the quieter she became, the two of them still standing by the front door. Lucy absently was glad she'd not put the cookies in the oven yet, as they'd have burned long before the thought of the oven being still on crossed her mind. Eventually though, she knew they should move.

"Kara." She whispered. "Lets move to the couch... or the kitchen. Are you hungry?" 

The crying girl shook her head in the negative just as her stomach chose that same moment to indicate the opposite. It was entirely what the moment needed, as both Lucy and Kara broke out in laughter at the same time.

Lucy pulled back to take a long look at her friend. "So, I'm gonna put some cookies in the oven and order a ton of pizzas while you go to the bathroom and clean up." She kept on talking when she saw Kara seemed loath to try to speak. "Check my bedroom at the end of the hall for anything you need. Clothes, towels, toiletries. Use my toothbrush if you want. Whatever you need. Come find me when you're done."

Kara finally nodded. Before she could escape Lucy's grasp, the former DEO Director kissed the blonde's cheek. "Go. I'll see what else I've got in the fridge to tide you over until the cookies are done and the pizza gets here."

As the two separated to their respective destinations, it took until Lucy had made it into the kitchen and ordered twelve large pizzas that she realized her guest hadn't brought in any luggage. Making sure the oven's timer was set for the cookies, she quickly made it the front door and looked on the porch: no bags or anything. Kara had come straight to Fawcett City and to Lucy. 

Taking a breath to relax, she returned to the kitchen and started rummaging through to find whatever fixings she had for some sandwiches. The pizzas and breadsticks ordered were going to take at least an hour to arrive. Eventually, a noise from the doorway pulled her attention away from spreading mayonnaise across the wheat bread in front of her as she looked to see Kara watching her. She looked... well, better wasn't the right word, but at least Kara was clean. And in Lucy's West Point sweatshirt and matching shorts... a favorite of Kara's to borrow during late night sleepovers last year. She wanted to smile at the mismatched socks she wore. Lucy never could find the mates to either, but they were each too comfy to throw out. It seemed Kara had the same idea Lucy did for wearing them.

"Hi."

"Hey." Kara responded, barely over a whisper. 

"You ready to talk?" 

Her guest shook her head. 

"Sit, then." She ordered as she finished the second roast beef and provolone sandwich. Placing both in front of her houseguest, she nodded at the plate. "Eat."

The "Care and Feeding of a Kryptonian" manual that her sister, Lois, used to joke about when referring to Clark popped suddenly into her mind. "Get them eating", Lois had always said. "Food and sunlight can fix most anything". It might not work in this case, Lucy considered, but it definitely couldn't hurt. Kara was just starting on sandwich number two when the oven chimed signaling that the cookies were done. 

In the silence of the kitchen, Lucy started a pot of coffee for herself. For Kara she made a large glass of half milk, half sweetened coffee creamer that she sometimes used for her coffee in the mornings. Kara's best friend, Winn, swore by the stuff. He claimed the mixture took on near mythological properties when it came to lifting the alien's mood. She hoped it worked now, otherwise she'd have to come up with something else. 

Kara had eaten half the cookies before she finally seemed to rise a tiny bit out of her stupor. Ah... the healing powers of chocolate chips. 

"Want to talk now... or do we need to wait for the pizza?"

The blonde woman finished her drink, then lent back in her seat. Kara seemed to consider a moment before finally offering a reply, albeit, a confusing one. "I don't want go back. Can I just quit?"

Lucy decided to take it all slowly. One step at a time. "Okay. Go back where? National City?"

Kara nodded.

"And quit? Quit where? CatCo?" She shook her head in the negative. 

"You don't want to go back to work?"

"I got fired from CatCo."

"Fired? James fired you?" She was going to destroy her ex fiancée. Murder him slowly. With fire ants. And spiders. Maybe starving leeches. The brunette was considering more, but Kara was shaking her head again.

"Snapper. My editor."

"So someone named Snapper fired you... Snapper, really? And James didn't help? What about Cat? Did anyone call Cat?"

"My fault. I deserved it." Lucy knew of Cat's fondness for Kara, no matter what the media mogul tried to project. Cat would've fixed this. James should've known that. Yeah, he was dead. Like already buried in the Earth, but just didn't know it yet, dead. 

"We'll come back to that later. What are you wanting to quit? The DEO?"

Kara seemed to draw further into herself, becoming even smaller. She shook her head. 

"Do you mean Supergirl? Stop being her?"

"Her. Yeah. But I don't want to be Kara Danvers anymore, either. Can I not be her?"

"Kara...". Lucy started, but was cut off. 

"Please, Lucy, can't we come up with a new name? A new place to go? Can't I find someplace else to be?"

She'd started crying again. The young woman seemed to just start fading away in front of Lucy, like whatever inner light that made Kara, well... Kara, was slowly leaking from her body. Her blonde hair was just blonde. Her eyes were just blue. The whole package that had made both Kara AND Supergirl stand out was draining away, right in front of Lucy's eyes; and she absolutely no idea of how to stop any of it. 

"Kara..."

"I don't want to talk about it. Not yet. Can't I just hide here with you for a while? Please..."

The big guns were out. Kara's eyes were like those paintings from the sixties or something. They were so big, pleading. Lucy knew she was a goner. But she still needed to know what was going on. 

Lucy opened her mouth to inquire some more... more questions... and, of course, the doorbell chose just then to sound off. Lucy quickly excused herself and nearly ran to her front door. Dealing with a flabbergasted teenager gawking at her delivery order was not a priority of things she wanted to deal with at the moment. She threw a twenty dollar tip at the kid and bid him a firm goodbye, dismissing his attempt to gallantly carry the food inside for her. 

Returning to the kitchen, she used serving Kara three slices of all meats with extra, extra cheese and refilling her empty glass of creamy milk as time to consider how to proceed with Kara's declaration. 

Truthfully, Kara didn't have to be Supergirl. There wasn't anything anywhere that could force her. And, legally, she could change her name to anything she wanted. But there would be a lot of hoops to jump. Was Kara Danvers an alias? Had the Danvers family legally adopted the Kryptonian? How careful had Superman and everyone else been?

Lucy chewed at her own slice of pizza, plain with light sauce, while she contemplated how to ask her next question. It was going to maybe be a long night. Kara had barely started on her first slice. In a normal setting, she'd be starting on her second pie by now. 

"I want you to eat, Kara." She started. "And while you do, I want you to listen to what I have to say. Deal?" When Kara finally nodded, Lucy continued. "As long as I talk, you continue to eat. My questions will be yes or no, so you can respond without having to stop eating. Got it?"

Kara nodded. This was going to work. 

"If I stop talking, then you have to start talking... and I don't think you really want to talk yet, right?"

Kara's affirmative wasn't as quick this time, but it finally came. Lucy was glad to see Kara had finished slice two and was starting on her third. She moved the human heart attack in a box closer to the blonde. 

"So... you aren't working at CatCo currently?" Head shake. 

"You were fired?" Nod. 

"Are you still working at the DEO?" Another nod, though her eating slowed a bit.

"Found another job?" Head shake. 

"But you're looking?" Head shake. What was Kara doing? Where was everybody?

"Okay. Trying being just Supergirl?" Slow nod. 

"Spending time with your friends?" Kara shrugged. Lucy hadn't really considered a shrug. This needed further explanation. 

"But you still see James?" Head shake. That was a big negative. She'd read reports from the DEO that James was playing vigilante lately. Was that interfering? Lucy had thought with James at the DEO now, the self proclaimed Super Squad would be tighter than ever. It had been Kara, Winn and James at CatCo. Now it should be the three of them at the DEO.

"Winn?" Another negative. And from her supposed best friend. Hmmm.

Lucy started in on her second slice of, in Kara's words, the most boring attempt of a pizza ever. Kara was now starting in on a second pie, triple pepperoni. 

So, James and Winn were out playing hero. Cat Grant was on sabbatical. No job meant low human interaction. Kara had once explained how working at CatCo fulfilled a need. Who was fulfilling her needs now?

She had to pause eating, a sick feeling started to churn deep within her stomach. "So, you're spending time with Alex?"

Kara shook her head. Her eyes seemed to mist slightly. 

In some of the sporadic email correspondence she'd tried to keep up with her National City friends, she remembered something about Alex recent coming out... and all for some cop she'd apparently fallen for. 

"Alex still seeing the female detective? Sanders?"

Kara swallowed the slice she'd been chewing. "Sawyer. Maggie Sawyer."

"They're going good, then?" The blonde shook her head, but Kara also looked away. 

"They broke up?" Very slow nod... and Kara continued to keep her gaze averted. 

"Was it bad?" Shrug. 

"Want to tell me what happened?" An emphatic negative on that question. Now we're getting somewhere. 

"Okay. That's fine." Lucy took a moment to think. If she couldn't get more yes or no answers, Kara was going to have to talk, and Lucy wasn't sure the alien was ready for that yet. 

"What about you? I remember you leaving me a voicemail that you're seeing someone?" Nothing. 

"Kara." The blonde continued to finish off the triple pepperoni and had moved on to the double sausage and peppers. "Kara."

At her name called a second time, she finally returned her gaze to Lucy. "Kara, if you don't answer, I'll stop talking and then you have to talk, remember?"

As she nodded, Lucy smiled. "Good. Aren't you seeing someone?" Kara shook her head. 

"What happened to the Daxamite?" With no answer, Lucy realized her mistake. Yes or no. "You were dating him, right?"

Slow nod. 

"You broke up?" Another nod. 

"Did he break up with you?" Head shake. 

"You broke up with him?" Nod. 

"Did he take it badly?" Nod again. 

Lucy considered what she'd learned so far. She thought over her questions, when she finally realized how she'd stumbled and missed one. A very important one. 

"Did he try to hurt you?" Head shake. Well, that was good, at least.

"I remember hearing about you and James ending things. The two of you were able to work through going back to being friends. You think you and the Daxamite might be friends again?"

She watched as Kara took another bite of pizza, her expression one of consideration. Finally, she shook her head from side to side. A no, then. 

"You must be spending a lot of time with Alex now, seeing that the two of you are both single. Sisters forever, right?" Absolutely nothing. Kara even stopped eating. Pay dirt. 

"Kara? Are spending time with Alex?"

"Kara? Kara?" Finally, she shook her head. 

"You're not spending time with Alex?" Another shake of the head. 

"Hey." Lucy reached over and threaded her fingers in with Kara's. "Who are hanging out with?"

Kara shrugged. Lucy felt like she either needed a good cry herself or to go on a murderous rampage. What the holy hell was going on in National City?

"Kara, are you all alone?" Nod. 

"You've been alone since the Daxamite?" Head shake.

"No, but you're alone now?" Nod. 

"What happened?" Head shake and tears. 

"But something happened?" Nod with tears. 

"Between Alex and your boyfriend?" Head shake, the tears still falling. 

"Something happened with him?" Head shake. 

"With Alex? Something happened with Alex?" Nod. Violent tears. 

"Okay. With Alex and someone else?" Nod. And the heavy tears continued. 

"Who?" Head shake. Even more tears. Kara's breathing got heavier. 

"I need to know who." Head shake. Her eyes were closed tightly. 

"Kara. I want to help. What happened?" Head shake and more tears. 

"Please, Kara." HEAD SHAKE. 

And Lucy knew she was about to see another breakdown. The brunette was considering running through every name she knew to get to whoever else was involved... when the girl opposite her spoke up. 

"No more." Kara finally begged. Lucy knew she had gotten all that she could. Tonight. From Kara, there wasn't going to be any more answers tonight. 

Lucy got up from her seat across from Kara's, never letting her hand loose, as she moved to pull the other woman into a hug. She was never letting Kara go. The rest of the world could go fly a kite in a thunderstorm for all she cared. 

There was no telling how long they'd stayed in that position. And frankly, Lucy didn't really care. Kara needed her. God, himself, could come down right now for the Rapture and Lucy would tell Him to shove off. But eventually, Kara started to wind down. It took some coaxing, but the former DEO Director finally convinced her friend into Lucy's bedroom to get some sleep. 

Once carefully tucked in... with every pillow Lucy could find, Lucy went into the kitchen to clean up. The dishes and glassware she carefully placed into the dishwasher, while the six remaining pizzas were shoved into the refrigerator; the uneaten cookies into a ziplock baggie. 

That done, Lucy went over what she knew. Kara Danvers was in isolation. She had no job, no friends, no boyfriend, no social interaction. Her mentor was gone. Even Lucy had been transferred away. There was no one there for Kara. None that Lucy could find, anyway. And now. Now. Kara's own sister was involved in something happening which was the final straw that seemed to break the young hero's back.

The clock on the wall said it was nearing three in the morning. That would be one in the morning in National City... and four in Metropolis. Was it too early to bug Lois? Her sister worked even weirder hours than she did. But Lois had fallen for her boyfriend's older little cousin the moment she'd laid eyes on her. Shouldn't she know that Kara was upset?

Lucy's first instinct was to call Alex, but that idea was a bad one. She needed others to pull in for support if this was bad... and Supergirl wanting to quit seemed enough of a reason to call in the Calvary and to circle the wagons. 

What had happened?

Deciding to take a chance, Lucy carefully went and checked that Kara was still asleep. That mission complete, she fixed another cup of coffee and then reached for her L-Phone. Her sister's number dialed from memory. 

She was apparently up since Lois picked up after the first ring. "Luce. What's got you up this early? If you're calling to say you're moving again, call a different sister to help you move. I quit the pack mule business after this last time."

"Hey, Lo-Lo." She smiled that the two of them were finally close. "Where are you?"

"I'm at home. All's quiet for the moment."

"You alone?"

"Do I need to be?"

"Please."

Lois didn't speak for a moment. The sounds from the call seemed to indicate that she was taking the time to move around. "I'm good. Are you okay?"

Now it was Lucy's turn to not speak. She thought of what she could say. "Clark's not around?"

"He's in the bed, supposedly sleeping. Why?"

"I don't think he can know yet."

"Color me intrigued now. Hold on." 

Lucy listened as her older sister called out and spoke to the Man of Steel... probably her soon to be brother-in-law, telling him her sister was on the phone and she was going for coffee. She ignored the muffled response and obvious sound of a kiss. There was more background noise; doors opening and shutting, the echoes of a hallway until finally the sounds of the city.

"We should be good, now. What's up?"

"Is there any West Coast chatter? Specifically in National City? Anything going down that might affect my old group?"

"Nothing recent and not really anything noteworthy." Lois paused. "Why?"

"Kara's here."

"What?" 

Lucy was nodding, although Lois couldn't see that. "Yeah. Called and then showed up. She's in a bad way."

"Bad how?"

"I don't know for sure, yet. Not physically hurt, but... She's hiding. From everybody. And I don't know who to ask. It isn't good, Lo-Lo."

"What else? You wouldn't call me if that was it."

"She doesn't want to go home. She asked me to help her not be Supergirl anymore. But more than that, she doesn't want to be Kara Danvers either. I think something huge happened with Alex."

Lois sighed loudly. Lucy waited as her sister processed what she'd said. "Tell me everything."

So Lucy explained the events of the past seven hours. The phone call. Kara's arrival. The six pizzas left uneaten. All of it. And retelling it, Lucy realized she didn't have much. She wrapped up her summary with "and then I called you."

"It's good you're not a reporter, sis, cause you suck at it. Don't get me wrong, you've got a good starting base, but not enough to even really start a hypothesis. Perry would've kicked your scrawny butt out of the office... and he likes you. You've only got Alex as the catalyst, but little else."

"What do I do, then?" Lucy hoped she didn't sound as desperate as she felt.

"You? You take care of Kara. Full stop. You focus on keeping her well."

"But what about..."

"I've got this, Luce." The elder Lane sister spoke. "Give me day and I'll get back with you with the answers you need, got it?"

Lucy felt herself finally start to relax. "Thank you, Lois."

"Hey. What are sisters for, right? And besides, I was getting bored here. I needed some butts to kick. Been almost too long."

She couldn't help but chuckle at Lois. "Thanks. Really."

"Just keep me apprised if Kara tells you any more, okay? Don't push, but if she offers, let me know. We good?"

"We're good." Lucy answered. 

"Expect a call by five your time tonight."

"Bye, Lo-Lo."

"Later."

With the call disconnected, Lucy went back to check on her houseguest. Kara was still asleep, but had completely turned around. Now, her head was hanging off the lower right corner and the comforter was only covering her top half... those long legs of hers spread eagle with all the pillows in between them. Lucy almost took a photo. 

Okay. She totally took a picture. 

Glad that the blonde was sleeping soundly, she went to the couch and tried to get a few winks in for herself. 

_______________________________________________________

 

From her vantage, Lucy was easily able to work on her laptop and keep an eye on her friend. Currently, Kara was in as much quiet solitude as Lucy could give her, without making the younger woman feel like she was alone. Both were in the line of sight of the other. With Kara in Lucy's back yard, sunbathing in a borrowed bikini. She had earphones plugged in with Taylor Swift on a loop and plenty of leftover pizza and creamy milk within reach. She was currently reading an old Nick Carter, Killmaster spy novel Lucy had found at a yard sale. 

While Lucy was working. Luckily, there hadn't been any pressing need to actually be in the office today, so she was working from home... and that had given her the perfect excuse to set the younger woman up as she had, with enough interference that Lucy could safely work on classified stuff that Kara would have to actively try to spy on her to know what she was working on... and she honestly wasn't working on work stuff. Once Kara had been settled as comfortably as Lucy could make her, the brunette had gone immediately into investigative mode and started surfing through the social media accounts of their friends.

There were still a few hours left before Lois was due to call and she wanted to make the most of the time she was afforded. Lucy hated having to wait for information.

She and Kara had had a fairly good morning and day, so far. They'd both slept in and then gone to the kitchen for a breakfast slash lunch type thing. Lucy had followed Lois' advice and not asked anything further, instead telling Kara about her current assignment in Fawcett City investigating some wormy Silvana character... as well as the few nice people she'd had a chance to might; there was the Batson kid that did odd jobs down at the radio station and his younger sister, Mary, who was obsessed with tigers... as well as their eccentric uncle who cared for them. 

After cleaning up, Lucy had recommended since it was so pretty outside that Kara might do well to get some actual sun for a bit. Kara had remained subdued, but followed Lucy's directions without any pushback. Which led them to the here and now.

The social media angle was appearing to be a bust.

Winn's pages were mostly filled with gaming references with very few comments from anyone that Lucy could recognize. Mostly Likes on achieving certain levels or the random hint on a secret game code. Overall, fairly typical Winn. The only thing that stood out to Lucy was that his relationship status had changed from "in a relationship" to "its complicated".

James' account was even less revealing. Where once there had been beautiful photographs of buildings and people, with stories and quips on why he'd taken said photo, there was now only the stark occasional message regarding CatCo business. No life. It was cold and, dare she say it, colorless. And absolutely no mention of Supergirl in any capacity. Were they even friends anymore?

Cat Grant's page showed her currently in Russia. No help.

Alex didn't have a page, but she did have several texting and email accounts that Lucy had never given up her authorization to monitor. They revealed the most. Her work account was basic, though she noticed her use of the work account grew less and less the closer you got to today. In fact, Alex had only used the DEO account twice in the last few days. The personal email was a bit more informative, with correspondence between her and Detective Sawyer filling up most of what she read. What she really took notice of was that Kara's emails to her sister seemed fairly consistent, but the replies back to Kara had started drifting off when the emails to Detective Sawyer had began.

Something was nagging at the back of Lucy's brain... her subconscious had picked up on what was happening, she just needed the rest of her to catch up. It was the texts from Alex's personal L-Phone which just might have completely solved the mystery, but for that there was still an unknown player in the drama she was unfolding. 

Alex and Maggie had been happy and apparently in love... but it had been a fast love. The kind that roars aloud, but can often start to fizzle and fade if you weren't careful. The texts Lucy was reading at first were full of innuendo and teasing, followed by inside jokes and carefully worded suggestions. But something happened as time moved on. Nothing absolutely relationship ending, but enough that what was once fun and flirty had turned into harsh and hurtful.

Maggie Sawyer was jaded against love. And Alex, well, Alex was in love with finally being in love. Maybe for the very first time... but when that first true love turned on her, even just a little bit, Alex apparently returned to form. Lucy still could remember Kara talking about the dark days of Alex's withdraw from her and Eliza after Jeremiah's supposed death; those last years of college, just before J'onn had found Alex, saved her from completely self destructing. Of Kara's failure to save Alex. Of not being good enough.

Alex had seemingly withdrawn again. But why would that send Kara into a downward spiral? Was that the final straw?

While lost in thought, Lucy's attention was pulled back to the laptop as Alex's account started to show activity. Apparently, Kara's vanishing act had finally been noticed. Clicking over to another open page, Lucy saw that there was a hostage situation at one of National City's banks and the DEO and NCPD were looking for their caped wonder.

Lucy did everything she could not to slam her fist into the monitor. Of course, they realize Kara is missing when they need her. Nobody bothering to look for her when they've got their own lives to lead.

She ignored the various emails and postings looking for Kara. If Supergirl didn't have her cellphone with her to check for calls and messages, Lucy wasn't going to interrupt her "me" time. Instead, she contemplated looking at Kara's social media. There was just that one missing piece, and Lucy was sure that the answer would be right there... but would Kara see it as betraying her trust? Did she want to be lumped in with everyone else that had abandoned the Kryptonian?

Her L-phone ringing caught her attention. The display read Lesser Older Lane, bringing a smile to her face yet again. Looking over at Kara, the other woman was seemingly engrossed with the spy novel still. Taking that as good enough, Lucy picked up the line before it could ring again. 

"Hey, sis."

"Hey." Lois responded, her voice tight. This wasn't going to be good... at all. "This is not a conversation for others. Get away from Kara."

Lucy stood casually, making sure to stretch her arms outward. When Kara looked over at her, she smiled and indicated she was going to get another drink from inside. When Kara returned to reading her book, Lucy spoke into the phone. 

"I'm clear, at the moment. You work fast. What've you got?"

"There's a reason Cat hated me. She's good, but I'm better." Lois cleared her throat. "You missed someone from your story this morning: Lena Luthor."

"Luthor?" Lucy's mind raced. "How's the littlest Luthor involved?"

"You ready for it?"

"Yeah." Lucy started the coffee. 

"Okay. Kara's friends have been systematically leaving her behind. If it wasn't for the utter stupidity of the people she's associating with, I'd put it down as the bad writing to a CW teen drama or a mastermind villain from an old weekday serial. Either way, everyone has drifted away from her, leaving Kara alone."

Lucy sighed. "I kind of figured that out already."

"Yeah, but you didn't know about Kara's friendship with Lena Luthor. She's become the rock that Kara has come to lean on. A lot more, lately, since everyone else had seemingly abandoned her."

"What does that have to do with her wanting to quit?"

"Here's where it becomes really bad." Lois' voice went cold. "Seems Lena and our little Kara were getting close. Really, really close."

"You mean...?"

"Yep. It looked like things were headed to a real love connection, but the DEO was balking at letting a Luthor in on her secret identity. Worries about Clark included, since Kara met Lena alongside Clark in that first interview. And her duties as Supergirl kept interrupting dates and whatnot, causing more strife."

"But what about Alex." Lucy asked, fearing what she was about to hear. "What happened?"

"Lena was upset with Kara constantly bailing on her. She eventually decided to drown her tears over a few drinks with Alex, hoping to get answers. And Alex, of course, was in the middle of her downward spiral from her recent breakup with Detective Sawyer."

"Oh no."

"Oh yes. Start with two parts desperate women, add in a little heartbreak for each and stir liberally with tequila and what do you get?"

Lucy was definitely going to kill everybody in National City. "Alex slept with Lena Luthor."

"You got it." Lois answered unnecessarily. "Not sure the where or the how on Kara finding out, but considering she can see through walls and hear a pin drop from miles away, it doesn't take a genius to figure out the events from there."

She wanted to cry. Kara didn't deserve this. No one did. "What's happening now in National City? Does anyone realize anything yet?"

"No. Not that I can tell." Lois replied. "I think Lena and Alex slept together within just the past few days. Not last night, but the night before maybe. Lena Luthor cancelled lunch plans with Kara both yesterday and the day before. Alex has been incommunicado for those same days. That Detective Sawyer may have been the one to clue Kara in on the dirty deed, since reports have had her tailing Alex lately. Seems the break up was kind of one sided."

"How do we confirm?"

Lois laughed darkly. It was evil enough that Lucy felt chills run down her spine at the sound. "I landed in National City right before I called you. Even if Kara was listening in on this call, that would give me enough time to get to at least one of them."

"Lois..."

"No, Lucy. Don't 'Lois' me. Not about this. They betrayed Kara. Not just hurt her, but honest to Rao betrayed her. I'm going biblical on these morons... and you know better than to try and stop me."

"Stop you?!?" Lucy would've yelled, but that would alert the heartbroken woman outside. "I'm not wanting to stop you... I'm pissed that is here and can't help you. Crucify them. All of them."

"Scorched earth?"

"And then salt it until nothing can grow there ever again."

Lucy glanced out the window to see Kara finally finish the book; she looked to be about ready to come inside. 

"I've gotta go, Lo-Lo. Keep me informed. Texts are probably best for the rest of today."

"You got it."

"I love you, sis."

"You, too. You, too."

Lucy ended he call just as Kara entered inside the house. It took everything inside of Lucy to act as if she didn't know probably most of the story.

"How are you, pretty girl?"

Kara smiled bashfully. "Better. Thank you for letting me stay a few days."

"A few days?" Lucy admonished. "No way, chickie. You're staying for at least a week or two. I've got some time saved up from work. How about you and me see what kind of trouble two hot babes like us can come up with in a tiny little excuse of a town like Fawcett City, huh?"

She finally grinned, her blue eyes not yet sparkling again, but it was a start. "Thanks, Lucy. I knew I could count on you."

"And you always will, Kara. Always." She whispered in the Kryptonian's ear as she embraced the taller girl. "Always."

_______________________________________________________

 

It was four days later, a Monday, before the world caught back up with the two of them. Or for Kara, at least. 

Lucy had done her very best to prevent reality from intruding on the Kryptonian's sabbatical; and for the most part it had worked. They had eaten at every tourist trap they could locate, even finding a Guy Fieri recommended dive from an early season of Diners, Drive-ins & Dives. They'd toured the museum in downtown Fawcett City. Kara and she had even mistakingly seen a local production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, although interpreted as if instead of an alien transvestite, Frankenfurter had been a deranged serial killer a'la Silence of the Lambs.

Yeah. That had been a failure. 

And they'd talked. The day after her calls with Lois, Lucy had come clean to knowing most everything that had happened. Kara had been understandably upset, at first, but once assured that no one in National City knew where she was... nor that Lois would ever give up her current whereabouts, did the blonde finally calm down. Though she never confined anything or even offered to fill in any of the blanks Lucy and Lois had, they did enjoy their time together. Lucy even considered asking Kara to stay, but she knew that just running away was wrong. Kara would eventually face her friends and sister, no matter the final outcome. 

Currently they were laying on Lucy's living room couch trying to make it through The Between on Netflix, although it so far was almost too depressing to watch. She secretly figured Kara was just too lazy to try and find something different to watch. Lucy knew she'd have to talk to Kara about her having to go back to her job soon... the General was never a big fan of down time, him being her father, and all.

But reality decided to interrupt their impromptu vacation by way of Lucy's cellphone taking that moment to go off. A quick glance to see the name Alex Danvers on the screen to ruin the bliss of doing nothing away. 

"It's Alex." Lucy offered. 

Kara didn't really react, she just took a deep breath and nodded. "You going to answer?"

"Do you want me to?"

Kara paused the television. "Go ahead."

Deciding to go ahead before either could change their minds, she answered. "What's up, Alex?"

"Lucy," the elder Danvers sister spoke. "Is Kara there?"

"She is."

"Can I talk to her?"

Lucy looked up to meet Kara's gaze. The blonde shrugged. Not very helpful.

"Please." Alex spoke into the silence. 

"I'm not sure she really wants to talk to you, Alex."

"I need to speak with my sister, Lucy. This is important. Like, really, really important."

"Important for Kara or important for Supergirl?"

Not really waiting for any response, Kara held out her hand in a desire to take Lucy's L-Phone. Lucy waited a moment before handing the device over. 

"If you break my phone, I'm not making you anymore cookies." Kara gave her a small smile, acknowledging the attempt at levity. 

"It's me." Kara spoke into the cellphone. Unlike Kara, Lucy didn't have super powers, so she was going to have to determine if it was going simply from Kara's words and reactions.

"No. I'm good here."

"No, Alex. Not right now. Maybe not for a while."

Kara sat quietly, apparently listening to whatever her sister was saying. Lucy knew whatever Alex was trying to get through was failing. Kara's head was already shaking from side to side in an obvious negative way.

"You're not listening to me. I'm not coming home." Pause. "If you try that, I'll be gone before you can get here." A longer pause. "I don't want to see you, Alex." Pause. "Tell the rest of them to stay away, as well."

"No, Alex." Kara's voice started to rise. "I don't care that you feel bad. You deserve to feel bad." A pause. "Alex... do you realize how much the two of you hurt me?"

Kara closed her eyes as she listened to the older woman talk. Lucy took that moment to shift her position on the couch, putting her arm around the blonde's shoulders in a sign of support. Kara leant her head onto Lucy's shoulder. Both women ignored the tears that had started to fall.

"Alex." She tried to interrupt. "Alex." She tried again.

A moment later, Kara started speaking again. "I get it, Alex. It was a mistake. You're sorry. Neither of you meant to hurt me. It just happened. It didn't mean anything." Pause. "I get it, Alex, but you're not getting it."

"I hear you when you say it didn't mean anything to you. Alex, I believe you. But Alex, it meant something to me."

Kara took a breath. "Everyone left me. You and Maggie were happy; James and Winn were off playing Guardian and Guardian support; I lost my job; M'Onel and me fell apart. You were all gone... but not Lena. She was there. And I had to listen to all of you say mean things about her, and not listen to me when I said she was trustworthy. It was like my opinion wasn't worth anything.

"You didn't believe me about Jeremiah. You said I wasn't family, Alex." Kara visibly swallowed a sob. "But Lena was mine. Even with all of you making me lie to her over and over, she was there for me... and you took that from me, Alex."

Lucy held on because she could suddenly feel the anger of the last daughter of Krypton. "You made me lie and you made me doubt myself... made me push her love away, to be Supergirl and save the day, day after day, over and over again with no end in sight... and then you took it. You slept with her, Alex. You slept with Lena and you say it was a mistake and that it meant nothing. But it meant something to me. It meant everything to me."

Kara was full out crying. "I hate you for this, Alex. I hate you and I hate Lena and I don't want to see you. I don't want to see Lena. I don't want to see anyone anymore."

The Kryptonian stood, and Lucy stood with her. "I'm not coming back. Not to you. Not to Lena. You broke me, Alex. And you made me hate you. How can I be Kara or Supergirl or anyone else when all I can feel is hate? When all I see is the two of you together? Hear your moans together, Alex?

She paused as her maybe now former sister was speaking, but Lucy knew it was pointless from the look in Kara's eyes. 

"No, Alex. You can't make this right. You can't fix this." Kara took a deep breath. "All of you decided to do what you thought was best for you, and that didn't include me. You just took me down to play with me when it was convenient for all of you. Well, this is me deciding what's best for me, now. You took Lena from me, Alex. You ruined that... but more than that, you ruined us, Alex. You killed my love for you.

"Goodbye, Alex. Don't look for me again. I won't respond."

Kara disconnected the line. Lucy just waited. It didn't take long. The former superhero turned fully into Lucy's embrace and cried. Not like the tears from when she first arrived; not the tears of a broken heart. Now, she cried like someone had died. Now, there were the tears of something, maybe everything, being over.

Lucy prayed she was enough to save some part of the woman in her arms.

She'd call Lois later so that they could begin planning. 

They'd adopt her. She could have a name that started with an L... it was almost a prerequisite around here. Maybe Linda. Linda Lane, the youngest lane sister. 

Wouldn't the General love that?

"We'll figure it out, Kara... I promise."


	2. Consequences Two Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, let's see how everyone else is doing.

There a lot of evil things in the world... usually too many to count, but right now, Alex can name the top ten:

Sunlight is first. Why is it so bright in here? There is absolutely no reason why the light coming into her windows this morning is as bright as it is. Which leads to the second evil thing to deal with: morning. 

Why is it morning already? She had just gotten to sleep... when? What time was it? Ugh. It was too early and she was too hungover to deal with having to think this hard. So, it's too bright in here... it's morning time (which sucks!!!) and she's hungover. Oh, yeah. Hungover. Number three on her current list of evil things. How close is three to ten again? Halfway?

Her radio alarm clock decides right them to go off. She catches the middle of some peppy little pop song before she hits the off button. Why is her radio alarm clock set for this station again? And why does she still have a radio alarm clock? How many times can she think the words, radio alarm clock? Let's put radio alarm clocks down as the fourth evil thing to deal with this morning. She'd get rid of it, but it had been a birthday present from... nevermind. 

Taking a moment to wipe the grime from her eyes and to try and stretch the kinks from her neck, Alex finally seems to regain enough cognition to realize a few more things to add to her evil list. Five is it tastes like something died in her mouth last night. Possibly slash maybe several things. 

Number six is that her brain finally reminds her that it's Tuesday, which means she has the department heads meeting to attend today. The meeting she was supposed to be prepared for... the meeting that she promised her boss she would absolutely have notes ready when she came in today... you know? The notes she completely bailed on last night so that she could go drink herself into a stupor last night with her current girlfriend. 

Yeah. 

The same current girlfriend that became her now ex-girlfriend last night, during said drunken stupor. Something about no drive or personal ambition; not to mention still being stuck on getting back with Maggie... a previous ex from twenty-five months ago.

Right. Evil thing number eight... number seven can be her now ex-girlfriend, Samantha, if you care... but eight being that she saw in the Tribune the article and photos about Maggie and her current beau, the dazzling and hatefully slash sickeningly gorgeous Katherine Kane of the Gotham City Kane's, and the current CEO of L-Corp Conglomerate. 

Yeah. That can be evil list numbers eight and nine, because Kane is definitely on her evil list. 

And lastly, number ten is that Alex had forgotten that she'd supposed to go into work early today, but in getting drunk and dumped last night, hadn't reset her radio alarm clock to go off an hour earlier. Late. Again. And hungover. Again. 

Today... like her life for the past twenty-four months or so, sucked. Just like she deserved. In some ways, this morning was similar to that morning... waking up hungover and late for work, although it was the differences that had sent everything to hell. There had been an ex-girlfriend then, too, but that had been Maggie. But there'd been no meeting unprepared for. No job she hated. And she hadn't woken up alone. 

Have you ever woken up and known that you'd completely destroyed your life? And not just your life, but the lives of those most important to you? Yeah, waking up to bazillion count sheets and other luxuries should be the best way to start your day... unless said luxuries came from screwing your baby sister's love interest. Opening your eyes to see Lena Luthor asleep next to you, and knowing that when her eyes open she's going to know the feeling, too?

Alex had considered running out that morning; of being a coward. How could she justify having sex with Kara's almost girlfriend?

She considered maybe lying. Kara didn't know... had no reason to suspect... she would never guess at such an absurd situation, would she? And Lena was a Luthor. She should be able to lie, right?

Right?

But Lena... she didn't lie, per se. She never got the chance. Both she and Alex avoided Kara that day. And then the next. Poor excuses for canceling lunches and sister night and other set plans. Two guilty people both acting guilty when they'd never really associated together previously. 

Yep. On that morning, Alex sadly remembered, she'd ruined everything. 

Kara somehow did know what happened. Somehow. 

Four days after waking up with Lena Luthor... the woman her sister had loved... National City lost everything. No, not Supergirl ( although that was most noted ) but lost Kara Danvers. Kara had escaped, and to Alex's knowledge, never to return.

Alex finally sucked it up and went through her regular morning routine. And maybe she sped up a few parts and then skipped a few others in order to minimize the damage of getting up an hour late would cause. So what if she skipped her morning coffee? And breakfast? Again. And maybe her hair was pinned under a stylish hat. That was still work appropriate attire, right? 

Eh. 

They were lucky she didn't call in today.

_______________________________________________________

Parking at STAR Labs was never easy. Alex always spent more than just a few minutes trying, in vain, to find something closer than the three blocks away that she inescapably was forced to park. The STAR Labs employee lot was already full. How? No idea, since there was supposed to be one parking spot for each employee. Someone was using her spot, but since she was low peon on the pole, its not like she had any pull towards getting anything fixed. Her car parked and now running to make the meeting, Alex wondered if Ms. Morgan would be at the door waiting, or if Alex had another chance to hopefully glance at the few notations she'd scribbled yesterday afternoon, prior to the previously stated drunken stupor. 

Passing the side door by flashing her badge at the guard, Alex made her way towards her cubicle, Ms. Morgan no where in immediate sight. A lucky break! Finally! A printed memo on bright orange paper was taped to her monitor. Taking a calming breath, Alex read that the morning meeting was cancelled due to a sister site emergency. More luck! Apparently, the Metropolis location of STAR Labs had been subject to an InterGang attack. 

Looking around, she spotted Robert from three cubicles over next to the coffee machine. There was both her much needed source of caffeine, as well as this mornings gossip and news. 

"Hey. Rob." She tried for upbeat. 

"Morning Alex. What's up?" He scratched at his poor attempt at a beard and sipped from his disposable cup, much like the one Alex now reached for. 

"Need coffee." She poured it as high as the styrofoam would safely allow. "Meeting cancelled? What happened in Metropolis?"

"You haven't heard?" He asked, his eyes widening. "It's all over every station. You must not have been awake on the morning commute. That newly formed super league..."

"You mean the Justice League?"

"Yeah. Them. Apparently STAR Labs was getting robbed. They're working on a updated particle accelerator or something, or so they say. InterGang tried to steal it or destroy it or something. There was a big firefight between them and the cops till Superman showed up, but he got hit hard, went down from some weapon InterGang had. 

"It looked bad, but then those other heroes showed up."

Alex felt her breath catch for a moment. Maybe this would be the time when Kara would finally reappear. After two years AND her cousin in trouble, maybe hurt. Supergirl would have to show up, right?

"Other heroes?" She prompted. 

"Yeah. Only three of them, but it was those three women that the Tribune and Planet keep harping on. You know, the Color Guard, as Cat Grant branded them... Green Lantern, Red Arrow and White Canary."

Alex sighed. No sighting again. "I remember."

"They got there and then the fight was over. It was great. There's already a bunch of footage online." Robert finished his coffee and went to pour another cup. "You really didn't see any of it?"

"Was working late." She lied. Alex excused herself after a bit more meaningless talk. 

How truly far she'd fallen. 

Once upon a time, Alex would've been in the know long before anything could even think of being posted online. Hell, she might have been in the thick of it. The good old days, back when she been second-in-command at the Department of Extra-normal Operations. Directors J'onn J'onzz and Lucy Lane in charge, working alongside her sister ( as Supergirl ) and, then later, Winn and James. M'Onel came later. Maggie, too. Those few great days. 

Kara was gone now. Alex tried to focus on completing the notes she was supposed to have finished last night. Thinking about Kara would have her feeling worse than this morning's hangover... but, honestly, it was too late. 

_______________________________________________________

Her sister: gone. 

And if that was it, maybe some form of her previous life as an agent could have continued. Sure, without Kara and Supergirl, it was harder than before, but the DEO had survived prior to Supergirl. It would endure without. 

But then the Lane sisters had struck. 

The elder Lane sister had swooped in like a raptor. National City never knew what hit it. She’d jumped into CatCo like an avenging angel… and with no Cat Grant to act as a foil, she had dismantled the reign of James Olsen... treating him as the lowly cub photographer Lois Lane, star reporter, had tormented back when they had both been at The Planet. His failure to do anything in regards to Kara's firing had only been part one of a dressing down that was still gossiped about today. 

Lois had been bad, but Lucy had been worse. 

Going for where it would hurt them the most; Lucy had let the NCPD in on the CatCo CEO's nighttime extracurricular activities as Guardian. Needless to say, the police had set up an elaborate sting operation, which had done its job perfectly and revealed his secret identity with no way out. Winn had been caught in their web, as well. 

Alex still winced at J'onn's reaction at a DEO employee ( Winn ) and a resource ( Guardian ) getting caught in the operation. Everyone had warned the two of them how dangerous being a masked vigilante could be; they simply hadn't listened. So many political favors had to be expended by the Department to prevent prosecution and maybe prison... even going so far that Superman ( Lois smirking at his side ) had to testify and provide personal assurances that James wouldn't don the Guardian persona ever again. Winnslow Schott, Jr. was just the sidekick... so the prosecution wasn't really after him... at least, not until his hacking came to light. He eventually was set free, but the son of the infamous Toy-Man was now on every governmental agency Watch List. Even the Post Office. His career as a Federal employee was over. 

And then Cat Grant swooped in. The worst hit. James Olsen was fired from CatCo Worldwide Media under the scandal his capture created, but losing the job had been the easy part. 

James, as CEO, had written several editorials and then approved several Tribune articles and CatTV news segments in regards to his costumed alter ego, supporting the vigilante... which now opened up several potential lawsuits for the company. The authorities started several lines of inquiry into James' actions... and whether CatCo could be held liable for damages and injury caused from Guardian's actions. It went further due to concerns on if James had used CatCo resources to support his actions. 

Ms. Grant had not been amused, retaking the reins of her company and separating her media empire as far away from James Olsen as was legally possible. She even stuck the proverbial final nail in the Guardian's coffin by offering an under the table deal to help Winn out of his legal woes in return for his testimonies that would exonerate CatCo from any wrongdoing or complicity in the matter. For the bargain price of no jail time and a promise of future employment once the dust settled, Cat Grant kept CatCo legally safe, regain her IT troll ( at a much lower salary ) and killed any friendship between James and Winn. 

Winn Schott, one time best friend to her sister, was now working at Blaze Comics, a minor recent acquisition of CatCo, where he worked in their collections department... under close supervision, of course. Part of the plea deal Cat secured for him was limited and supervised access to anything computer related. Winn wasn't even allowed to own a smartphone. 

James, last she'd heard, was working as a freelance photographer at weddings and children's parties. Cat Grant had blackballed James. And with Lois Lane on the same side as Cat on the issue, no one... nobody reputable, anyway, would go near him. His career involving anything to do with the news was over. 

At least he got to eat cake.

And with all of that going on, Alex had worriedly watched to see when either Lois or Lucy would start after her. But Alex had executed their punishment for them. They never had to even lift a finger. 

She was drinking again. 

Hard. 

After the phone conversation with Kara, having to face head on that she'd slept with Lena Luthor, well... absolutely everything had fallen apart... and the only friend she had seemed to not run off had been Tony down at the corner bar. Although, seeing as he was the bartender there, it might have been her giving him money to pour her drinks that kept him around. Alex had been lonely and she had never been good with being alone in her own head, especially when she had made such a royal mess of things. 

The true free fall her life took had started. She was drinking so much that Alex had started going to work hungover. Never drinking on the job, per se, but she drank until work started, didn't while working, then started back again after her extremely short work day. Okay... maybe a beer or two with lunch, but that was all. 

Even J'onn couldn't save her after the fiasco of the botch capture of a single Khund mercenary. Alex had botched an easy shot, and the alien had attacked. Four injured. But that sometimes happened, but then luck would have an internal investigation choose that mission to review; Alex's conduct and recent attitude got put under the microscope... which led to a more thorough review of her life. Needless to say, forced leave for substance abuse intervention was just a nicer spin on being fired. Now her career was over.

Three months. All within the span of ninety days had Alex lost everything. Her sister refused to even talk to her anymore, much less see her. She'd lost her wonderful girlfriend. Out of the job she loved. And her mom...

It took all of three seconds for her to be effectively out of a job before Eliza came down like the hammer from above. Her mom had already been upset about her daughters' being on the outs, but to start drinking again and to lose her job? Their argument on the phone might've been heard over in Gateway City. 

Alex had begged for forgiveness. Sure, a month or two later, but Alex had been desperate. She was alone and had no prospects. No friends. 

It was Eliza that had gotten her hired on as an assistant bio-chem research analyst at the newly started STAR Labs location in National City. Seemed that Eliza had published a paper with Tess Morgan back in the day, way before Tess had met her husband, Harrison Wells... who, coincidentally, was the brains behind the newly created laboratory. The job was Alex's if she wanted it. 

She'd taken it. And she had hated that decision ever since. 

To go from being the second-in-command of the third largest ( c'mon. You had to know Washington, DC and Metropolis were first and second in size ) division of a top secret government agency... to play with guns, as well as to work with the people she had... to go from all that to a becoming a nine to fiver, sitting in a cubicle and being an assistant... oh, how the mighty had fallen.

Was it any wonder that she was drinking?

_______________________________________________________

After finishing her notes, Alex attempted to take another swallow of her coffee, only to find her disposable cup was empty. Sighing, she stood to get a refill. Of course, looking to the pot on the table provided, Alex saw Robert there again... though Melanie and Cassandra were both there with him, and it seemed the gossip was good from the way they were whispering and giggling back and forth. 

"Hey." She offered in way of greeting as she reached for the coffee. 

"Alex." "Hey, Danvers." The two women said over one another. Robert just nodded. 

Cassandra was almost vibrating. "You heard the latest Lena scandal?"

This was definitely not her day. She considered how she could respond, to get out of talking about the source of her biggest regret, but drew a blank. And besides, Cassandra was already talking again. 

"Seems Lena Luthor got spotted doing the 'walk of shame' at the Regency this morning. The same hotel that B-List actress she'd been seen with last night was staying." Cassandra paused to stir in the artificial creamer into her coffee. "Another notch in the Luthor bed post."

Alex wanted to break the other woman's neck at the comment. Technically, Alex was a notch, too. 

Melanie jumped in to the fray. "Yeah. That's... how many skanks Lena's bedded in the past six months? Ten?" She laughed. "Girl went from powerful L-Corp biggie to loser party girl fast. Too much pressure. She fell down... when?"

"About a year ago, right?" Cassandra offered. 

Robert was nodding. "More like a year and a half."

"Thanks." Alex threw out noncommittally, her cup finally full of coffee. As she returned to her cubicle... how long until lunch? Alex considered the fall of the house of Luthor. If anyone could relate, maybe, to Alex's ruination of life, it would be Lena. 

_______________________________________________________

Upon waking up that fateful morning, Lena had immediately started crying. Not the beautiful tears you'd expect on the stunning woman, artfully captured diamonds falling, but rather the harsh, blotchy eyes type of crying that would make anyone cringe in disgust. The billionaire had somehow realized before Alex had that whatever the fallout of their night together was to cause, it would be on the extinction level event scale of bad. 

Alex had tried to calm Lena down, to make plans and more plans on how to handle their mistake. She'd thought that she had convinced the normally poised and collected businesswoman, but apparently not. Lena did everything wrong, which might have been more in her favor than Alex's attempts to do everything right. 

It had all come crashing down. Kara had learned of the affair... is one drunken fling of a night an affair? Kara found out and ran. Alex got her one phone call. As far as Alex knew, Kara had never spoken to Luthor again. 

And thus came the self-destruction of Lena Luthor. It took longer than Alex. Lena was apparently really good at bottling everything up. She became even more reclusive, if such a thing was possible. Harder in her business decisions. Every week, another acquisition; another win for L-Corp, Lena was conquering the business world with no sight of the end... until it just suddenly stopped. 

Approximately a year or so after Kara's disappearance, Lena Luthor suddenly stepped down from her position. Named Katherine Kane ( yes. Lena bringing Katherine Kane to National City probably led to her and Maggie meeting and now dating. Karma, right? ) as the new CEO of L-Corp, and then took a header, face first, into the party lifestyle. 

Tabloids went nuts. Lena was everywhere, always dancing and partying. Reports of booze and drugs all around. A new woman on her arm every night, a new scandal to deal with every week; three wrecked cars, seven destroyed hotel rooms. There was even reports of a twelve thousand dollar shopping spree at Disney World that led to her lifetime ban. Seems the House of Mouse frowned on nudity in its parks. It was story after story. Gossip and photographs and cover ups. 

Conjecture on Lena's imitation of Caligula and the debauchery of Rome was a constant in the tabloids. Most thought Lillian's arrest was a factor, or maybe her brother's recent escape attempt. Others thought her just too young for the responsibility of managing such an empire. 

Alex knew it was guilt. 

Lena had grown up in a harsh, unforgiving atmosphere, constantly attacked from all sides for things well beyond her control. She had been besieged for years, but had survived. More than survived, Lena had flourished. And the reason? Lena was above it all. She had been something good thrown into a place very bad. That youngest Luthor had been able to withstand the onslaught, all because she had been in the right. But she wasn't right on the matter of Kara. 

Kara had been Lena's reward, maybe. The answer for why she'd had to suffer. The two of them... together, Kara and Lena, they had fit from the beginning... and what they might have had could have been the answer for all the things Lena wanted. Alex took that away from Lena. That was why Lena cried so hard that morning. 

Lena didn't get to have Kara anymore... and she knew it. 

_______________________________________________________

Wiping at her eyes, telling herself again that she wasn't going to start wearing glasses, Alex finished her morning analysis of the polymer alloy that Harrison Wells was so excited about. It wasn't really all that impressive, as she'd seen much more advanced alien technologies while at the DEO... but that was all classified. And we'll out of Alex's reach now. But the STAR Labs leadership was hung-ho for this "new" innovation, so it was what Alex had to do. 

The time the monitor showed was nearing lunchtime. Maybe she could grab a beer with a pork sandwich down at Booster Gold's two blocks over. Alex saved her work and emailed her current progress with the current projections to the appropriate people when her desktop alerted an incoming video chat. Tess Morgan's face came into view on her computer when Alex accepted the request.

"Alex. Good. I need a few minutes. Can you talk?"

"Of course." She settled back into her seat. Lunch was going to apparently have to wait. Two beers. "What can I do for you this morning?"

"I'm sure you've heard about the Metropolis office." Alex nodded. "Well, the media have it as a random attack by InterGang for some new technology."

"That's what I'd heard." Alex offered.

Tess smiled. "Good. That's good. We want the truth kept under wraps."

"And I get the truth?"

"Partly. It's been in the works for some time, and you're not really in the loop for the particulars, but I have been made aware that due to your previous employer that you were not allowed to fully explain on your application for employment..."

"Ma'am..." Alex tried to explain, but Tess Morgan waved off Alex off.

"It's fine. I've been briefed." 

"Oh?"

"Alex, I'll get straight to the point. STAR Labs was started by an individual named Felicity Smoak, whom is from a different Earth. She contacted my Harry and, well... I know you're aware of the Multiverse and you've even interacted with some of those individuals, possibly even Ms. Smoak, herself."

"Felicity? Earth One?"

Tess laughed. "Yes. But we've dispensed with that One and Thirty-nine business. Each Earth has been given better designations and classifications. It's really quite interesting, and I'd love to have brought you in on this, especially as you already had some previous knowledge and interaction..."

"But I'm not approved." Alex felt like she'd been kicked in the stomach.

The woman on the monitor was looking at her with obvious pity. "No. You're not. Harry and I went to bat for you. Our entire team, for the most part, but it's a really high clearance level, and very few make the cut."

Alex let out a harsh laugh. "Lucy Lane?"

Nodding, Tess smiled softly. "I'm sorry, Alex. Truly. Ms. Lane is the current government liaison with the Justice League. Between her and CatCo and Kord Industries, the hoops anyone is having to jump through is outrageous. I thought you'd be a shoe in, but then your previous employment came to light, and with that, Ms. Lane became involved..."

"I understand. I do." Alex took a deep breath. "Am I being let go?"

"No. No. Of course not, Alex. You're work here has been good. Great, even, if you'd focus a bit more... but I think I understand you a bit more now."

"Thank you."

Tess waved of the apology. "Alex, STAR Labs has been selected to work in conjunction with its counterparts on three different Earths. This unprecedented chance at an exchange of knowledge, as well as exclusive contracts with certain government agencies, and working alongside the Justice League... it's what we were designed to do. It's what STAR Labs was meant to become."

"So, what about me?"

"Right." She took a breath. "Alex, the real reason the Metropolis laboratory was attacked was that is where the current Portal is located. InterGang somehow learned of its existence and wanted control. We're not one hundred percent sure why, but it has caused a bit of a quandary on what to do next."

"Can the Portal be moved?"

"Yes. And that brings us back to you." Tess sighed. "The Portal is coming here, to National City."

Ah. She got it now. "And I can't be here."

"Frankly... no. You cannot. STAR Labs, as I said, had to jump through those hoops I mentioned, and you not being anywhere near is one of them. One of the top ones, actually."

"Wow."

Tess luckily ignored the obvious sarcasm of her single word response. "Quite."

"So, I'm not being fired. You're moving me somewhere else?"

"I am. We are. Almost anywhere you want. There are a few restrictions. Metropolis is out, but really, I'll do whatever I can to put you somewhere nice. Hell, Alex, I'll even consider building a new location for you to work at if I can."

Alex nodded slowly. "Can I ask some questions? About the why?"

Tess Morgan nodded carefully. "I will try. Obviously, there will be some things that are classified, but I think you deserve answers. I would want answers. I just don't know if I'm going to be able to give you any. But we can try." She paused. "You should be aware that the reason I'm doing this over video chat is that the entire conversation is being monitored and recorded. I have several private screens up on my end that are giving me instructions on what can and can not be said. And be aware that if the transmission goes black, we've crossed a line somewhere and we will both possibly be detained."

Oh. Okay, then.

"Did Lucy say anything specifically about me?"

"Ms. Lane only stated that your previous employer had cause to let you go and, that while the reasons did not affect your current job, that your presence could lead to future complications."

"Is there any chance I could prove myself not a security risk?"

"I'm not going to say never, but it won't be now... and probably not anytime soo."

Alex leaned back in her chair. "Can I talk with Lucy Lane?"

A moments pause. "She is not currently available. I can pass along the request."

"Okay. What reasoning was given for my rejection?"

"Several reason were given. I will tell you that I felt some were completely ridiculous and shouldn't have been included, but the Board involved in the final decision overruled my objections."

"Was the Justice League being here one of the reasons she gave?"

She watched as Tess' eyes darted to the upper left, obviously getting instructions from someone. A lot of instructions, in every she didn't respond for a few minutes.

Finally, her gaze returned to Alex. "Yes."

Alex felt her fingertips tingle. "And?"

"No and. Just yes."

She decided to take a chance. "Is my sister involved with this decision?"

"Your sist..." Tess had obviously been thrown for a loop with that question. Apparently, she hadn't been briefed fully if asking about Kara could throw her off.

"Please hold. This isn't an interruption of transmission." The screen went to the STAR Lab logo.

Alex waited while Tess apparently was having a conversation with someone else. Someone more important, or at least, someone with more information. So, Lucy was involved. Maybe Kara was involved, too. It made sense.

Had Eliza known Kara was somehow associated with STAR Labs? Was this some long term quest to get them talking again? If so, she owed her mother a mountain's worth of love and whatever else she wanted. Maybe she'd give her a grandkid, if Alex could ever find a way back to Maggie, that is. Her thoughts were interrupted as the monitor came back to life. Tess looked a little less sure.

"Alex, I have been instructed, very carefully, to say the following... Kara Danvers is no longer your concern. Your actions; prior to the event, during the event and after the event, have all been taken into consideration. At this time, it is felt nothing has changed and the current status quo shall remain."

She knew tears were running down her cheeks. And she didn't care. Kara was still out there. Somewhere.

Tess continued. "Please take the offer, Alex. Let me send you somewhere else. You'll get a new start."

"Coast City." Not to terribly far from National City. Close enough to home for Kara to come find her... maybe.


	3. The Grass is, in fact, actually Greener...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry. I am looking into maybe trying my hand at writing an original work and that’s been taking up a lot of my time. No excuse, I know, but you go where the creative process takes you.
> 
> Now it’s time to go a little further into the future and see how life continues to change.

There's a saying... time heals all wounds. 

Maybe that's true, Lois thinks to herself, but that amount of time necessary is different for everyone. And who decides how long is needed for all of the different types of hurt? A week for a hurtful word from a friend? Two months for getting your heart broken? What about familial betrayal? Six months before everyone demands enough time has passed and its time to be okay?

Over eight years had passed since that fateful day when Kara had arrived on her sister Lucy’s doorstep, ready to leave the way of living that she'd had for over half of her life... and truthfully, leaving National City behind might have been the best thing that ever had happened to the young woman, formerly known as Kara Danvers, as well as having once been Supergirl. In fact, it had been great for both Kara and Lucy. 

It hadn't been easy. No, not easy at all… but it had been worth it.

Lois Kent, née Lane, kicked her feet up onto her desk. It was her office, after all, and it wasn't like anyone in their right mind would dare interrupt since her door was currently closed. Bob from Classifieds had once opened her door. She smiled in remembrance of what occurred at his arrogance. He still refused to look her in the eye. So she leaned back in her comfy chair and considered yesterday’s headline.

Green Lantern to Wed

It had been the first time Kara had allowed the Planet to scoop the Tribune. Lois knew Cat had graciously signed off on her former protege letting the East Coast get the headline, though she was sure Cat had demanded something in return. Knowing the media mogul, it might be her first born… though Lois was pretty convinced that Cat Grant wanted to be named godmother of any future children.

What a thought… Cat having that much influence over a Kryptonian child. Lois couldn't help the shudder that ran up her spine. The world would be doomed.

The young woman formerly known as Kara Danvers, slash Kara Zor-El, slash Supergirl was now Carol Ferris. And Carol was also known worldwide as the Green Lantern and was a founding member of the Color Guard; now, Carol was engaged to be married to another superhero... one better suited for the life and abilities of a Kryptonian Green Lantern. It was the perfect match, really, seeing as both were probably the most powerful beings on the planet, as well as possibly both being near on immortal. They belonged together.

But getting to that point had been hard... so very hard.

First, there had been getting the eight year ago Kara over her heartbreak. It still pissed Lois off to consider what her so called fiends and family did to her. Kara had deserved to be protected and loved, not overlooked and betrayed. But their loss was of their own making, and the Lane sisters were never ones to look a gift horse in the mouth. They'd almost gone broke feeding Kara chocolate, but the young superhero had eventually stopped crying. And with no more tears, the true planning could get started.

Operation Save Our Girl was a go. Lois had been forced to put her foot down with Clark. He'd objected to almost everything from the beginning, but this wasn't about him. Kara needed support, and that was what she and Lucy could provide in spades. And the lengths that they were prepared to go.

There was the call to one of Lois’ ex-boyfriends and current dark adversary to her current honey. Who, you might ask? Bruce Wayne. Who else could she go to for a new identity? Oh, the arguments that that one phone call had created. She and Smallville had actually called it quits for nearly two months before he'd gotten his hard-as-steel head out of his supposedly indestructible ass. They came out better for it in the end, but new lines and definitions to their relationship had been required. But it had worked out. Anyway…

Bruce had recently come into possession of Ferris Air, since its founder and owner, Carl Ferris and his wife, Christine, had died while traveling abroad. It was easy to create a hidden daughter, Carol, that the reclusive owner had kept away from the public eye. 

Kara El became Carol. Add the surname Ferris, and then Bruce “paid” Carol for the company he already owned, and their young charge was then newly named with a backstory and enough money to start over anywhere she wanted. It was the best possible beginning, but it didn't stop there.

Next, Ted Kord of Kord Industries was recruited by Bruce to provide some character references. While no one in the media initially had a face to go with the mysterious Ferris daughter, stories of a reckless party girl started showing up. 

Helena Bertinelli was quoted as saying that “[Carol Ferris] was a bitch and needed to stay away from whoever she was dating at the time,” which was followed by an entertainment blurb by KFMB Keystone City’s channel four’s weekend anchor, Linda Park, stating that “Carol Ferris had been reportedly institutionalized for substance abuse” while vacationing in Switzerland. And then later, CatTV ran a sound bite of Brazilian swimsuit model, Beatriz de Costa, saying that she and Carol Ferris “had a sexual fling during a photo shoot in Buenos Aires” sometime during the previous summer. Soon, a paper trail of names and places were associated with Kara’s new identity… now including several far away camera shots and grainy photographs of said person.

While all of this was going on, The Lanes were busy creating Carol Ferris. Gone were the cardigans and wallflower clothing of Kara Danvers. Lois smiled at Kara’s… no Carol’s argument that they were dressing her as if she'd been exposed to red Kryptonite again, but it was worth it in the end. Carol wore daring clothes, dark makeup colors and lots of jewelry. They incorporated a push up bra to help with her profile, and then there was the painted stencil tattoo that had to be reapplied once a week to her shoulder… Lucy had even convinced Carol to cut her hair and then, after getting a way to actually do it from the Fortress’ computer, alter her glowing blonde hair to something completely different: mousy brown that was similar in color to the late Ferris father. Carol had decided to keep wearing glasses, but now they were designer frames that were slightly colored to soften the intense blue eyes that she normally sported. 

In her forged history, Bruce had made her barely twenty-one, so that helped in an unexpected way. Carol was going to maybe go back to university, losing herself in the collegiate world once again. A new career… it was nearly perfect.

And then Cat Grant stepped in and provided Carol Ferris with the final piece of the puzzle: employment records as an intern from one of CatCo’s many European offices. It was for less than six months, with a notice of termination for failure to arrive on time for a solid week, as well as coming into work hungover. But it was the hand written notes, signed and dated by the supervisor at the time, as well as documented calls to the Ferris patriarch in regards to Carol’s behavior, which added the authenticity necessary if anyone ever disputed the persona. Though no one ever did, as far as Lois knew. It was so complete that even the various governmental agencies that sought out Supergirl for the past eight years never caught a hint that party girl slash Ferris Air heiress was the once internationally known and beloved superhero.

And everything had been all right. The DEO under J’onn’s leadership had flourished. Superman tended the United States, but was still based in Metropolis. Those scant few of other heroes, both meta and not, kept watch over various cities around the country. There were no complaints… until the Invasion. The Dominators had arrived.

Carol had been called. She had been a fountain of information; everything that was needed to defeat them was at hand, it was going to be an easy win… and then it was like the meta gene was handed out to anyone with their hand out, looking to become the next Superman or Supergirl. 

Nuclear men. Beings of elemental control. There were young titans of myth and legend. Technological marvels encasing artificial intelligences. Women of wonder. Suddenly, the heroes brought from different Earths were redundant; unnecessary. Our Earth had its own army of super men and women. 

And while the Dominators were still expelled with extreme prejudice, the world was forever changed. The prophetic warnings of Lex Luthor and Maxwell Lord; of CADMUS and from her father, General Lane, was all anyone not suddenly gifted with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal man could talk about. Superman and Supergirl had the peoples’ trust. These new so called heroes. Not so much. 

It was almost chaos. But in the midst of the confusion, three stood out and brought order. 

Superman was first. He was the pinnacle; the paragon of what everyone else strove for. And if they didn't, then they weren't a part of the solution… and if not a part of said solution, that made them part of the problem. General Sam Lane was given the authority to deal with any deemed part of the problem. It only took a few “problems” for the rest to become part of the solution. 

But with Superman leading the way, so then was The Bat of Gotham City the next one to step up and demand order. That fairytale boogie man whispered about throughout the underworld turned out to be real. The newly dubbed Batman stood next to a Kryptonian… and was not seen as less. Where Superman was the light, Batman was the dark, and together everyone else fell in line. 

The Trinity was completed by a wonder of a woman. An Amazonian, apparently, named simply as Diana; this statuesque figure of womanhood rested comfortably between the opposing mights of Superman and Batman, a strong balance of diplomacy and action. She was the perfect amalgamation of their finer points, and all that came face-to-face with Diana came to love her. The world was safe. So, Leagues were formed. Teams spread out across the country, with experienced superheroes there to mentor those new to the lifestyle. And with the need of experience, many of those heroes from the other Earth chose to stay, finding a calling on this version of the world that wasn't present on their own. Sara Lance, the White Canary, was one of the first to offer to stay. And it was she that was next in Carol’s development. 

Carol hadn't necessarily been quiet through the Invasion and subsequent meta human upheaval, but neither had she reverted to the old Supergirl persona. She and Lucy had acted as support… Lucy being able to participate more with her “new friend” Carol Ferris providing information and protecting civilians throughout the various conflicts. 

They'd kept most of Carol’s involvement under the radar, but then Sara had gotten a good look at Carol and had immediately become smitten… which had gone from a flicker of a flame into a raging inferno once she realized that Carol was the new identity of her previous hard crush; Supergirl. With that cat out of the bag, Sara went full press on Carol until the two were dating. Poor Lucy was now forced to share Carol’s attention, but with President Marsdin’s creation of a Federal Liaison between the Government and the newly formed Justice Leagues, everyone was able to spend time together. 

Lois started tossing paper airplanes at her waste basket across the office. It was only a few months later that Carol would be pulled back into the superhero gig. 

With the Earth being forced to consider that not only was there life beyond our own world out there, but that they had the capability of traveling here and conversing, it was decided that attempts should be made for future interaction… on Earth’s terms. Proactive, not reactive. In response to several queries through intermediaries, an intergalactic peacekeeping force known as the Green Lantern Corp decided to send a representative to meet with the United Nations. It was not to be, as Green Lantern Abin Sur was attacked by xenophobic radical forces. With his dying breath, his badge of office… a ring, was sent to find the person most worthy to become the next Green Lantern. 

The ring, of course, chose Carol Ferris. 

Carol, now sporting a green and grey Lantern uniform, along with mask and emerald colored eyes and hair (which, according to Lucy, was totally rocking)… well, there was no way she'd ever be mistaken for a once blonde, blue and red wearing, superhero. And any chance of refusal had been immediately nixed once Sara had seen her all aglow and radiating otherworldly power once again. Lucy still tells stories to this day of the horror of witnessing the former League of Assassins killer making out with her best friend while peeling them both out of their costumes. 

Sara to this day still laughs at Lucy’s telling of the story, although now that Carol is with Someone new, it's not near as loud. 

But, at the time, it had been the White Canary and the newly chosen Green Lantern that always teamed up for any adventure that came their way. They'd decided on Midway City as their home turf, along with a few of the new heroes-in-training. That had worked for a while, teammates changing back and forth, until Red Arrow, aka Thea Queen, decided to join. And then Cat Grant scooped the Planet, quickly branding the three as The Color Guard. Green, white and red. It worked, and suddenly the three of them were the latest craze that no one could get enough of. 

Those three women were everything… and she and Lucy were a part of it all. Lucy was the government’s liaison (and she had to make her home base wherever Carol was going to be), while Lois became the Justice League press agent, which luckily didn't conflict with her job at the Planet. The best of both worlds. 

It was a golden time… until Carol’s next drama filled moment.

_______________________________________________________

Knock. Knock. Knock. 

Lois stopped what she was doing and glanced at the door, wishing for not the first nor last time that she could see through the wooden barrier like her husband could. It would make decisions, such as whether to stop going through their monthly budget and getting up to see who was at the door worth it or not. If she got up now, she'd probably have to start all over when she eventually got back to the tedious chore. Why wasn't Clark doing this? Oh. Right. He was dealing with an overturned tanker in the middle of the Metropolis harbor.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Lois had decided that anyone worth opening the door for would have known to call her first, meaning she’d let the unannounced visitor sit outside until they’d given up, was thrown out the window when she could distinctly hear Carol’s voice calling through the barrier.

“Please. Lois. Open the door, please. I can see you, ya know. Let me in.”

Realizing that the monthly bills would have to wait, she quickly moved through the cluttered living room to the front door. Why was Carol here? Upon opening her apartment’s front door, she was immediately engulfed in one of Carol’s trademarked hugs... meaning she was completely wrapped up and pulled flush against the younger woman. Knowing that talking would have to wait, she enjoyed the hug.

Finally, Carol pulled back far enough to look her in the face. Lois immediately could discern that the young brunette had been crying.

“What’s wrong?”

Carol sighed, but didn’t pull away. “Sara broke up with me.”

“What?!?” Lois couldn’t believe it. Carol and Sara had been together for years. Hell, they got along better than any other couples that anyone knew. They were so lovey-dovey that Clark often spent more time coughing and adjusting the glasses on his face than witness the two women show affection. “What happened?”

The younger woman finally released Lois, allowing for the two of them to leave the doorway and move into the living room. After throwing a stack of papers onto the floor... just adding to the clutter already there, she made room for the two of them to sit and talk. She pointedly ignored Carol’s amusement at the state of their apartment. Sue her. She and Clark were reporters. Space was limited. It’s not like they were the fake lost heiress of aeronautics company purchased by a billionaire. 

Nope. 

Not bitter.

Much.

“Well?”

Carol sighed. “It’s the age thing again.”

“Really?”

Nodding, her guest continued. “It’s not really Sara’s fault. She is aging. And I’m not. We’ve been together nearly five years... and while that’s not too long, it is enough time for changes to be seen - on her.”

“But, Sara’s beautiful.”

“She is.” Carol immediately agreed. “I’ve never met anyone as beautiful as her, present company excluded, of course.”

Lois waved her hand haughtily. “Of course, darling, of course.” Her giggling slightly being the desired effect, Lois motioned for Carol to continue.

“I got carded at Mulligan’s the other night. Not such a big deal, normally, but we then heard the waitress complaining to a coworker that it was sad to see a mom and her daughter out drinking on a Tuesday night.”

“Someone mistook Sara for a Mom?” Lois was flabbergasted. “She’s only, what? Thirty five? No way is she old enough to be your mom.”

“Thirty-seven.” Carol corrected. “And I agree, Sara is gorgeous, but I look young. Too young. I’m not aging. I apparently stopped around nineteen or so... we just never really realized it until it was really time for me to start getting laugh lines and whatever else. I’m still nineteen.”

Lois looked at Carol, really looked at her, and felt herself having to agree. How she’d missed it, she chalked up to just expecting Carol to look like Carol. But the younger woman looked the same as she always had: perfect. 

“But Clark...”

“Kal ages. He’s older.” Carol nodded. “I’ve studied a lot of what’s left in his Fortress, as well as both his pod and mine. I think it’s the difference in a Matrix birth like mine versus a natural birth like his. He was a crap shoot, for lack of a better analogy. Uncle Jor-El and Aunt Lara had him the old fashioned way. There was no filtering of impurities or enhancing of his genetic code. He was simply born. 

“I’m the product of centuries of trying to perfect life.” Carol leaned forward, her voice going soft. “I was to be one of the new generation to lead Krypton into the next millennia. Those my age and younger had the latest improvements. We were destined to lead our planet.”

“So you’re saying Clark missed out?”

Lois apparently couldn’t keep the bitterness from her voice, as the other woman immediately became apologetic, backtracking slightly. “No, Lois. Oh, no. Kal-Clark was the product of love. True love between his parents. He didn’t miss out on anything but the chance to know them and his home.”

“Your parents loved you, too, Kara.” That she used Carol’s true name for this conversation was enough to convey how strongly Lois felt for the woman she often considered a second sister. “Never doubt that.”

“I know I was loved. That’s not what I was saying. I’m just... It’s... I’m the last product of a society based completely around science. I was created in a lab, prior to being actually born, to be stronger and faster and... well, to be the best. They took out anything that could potentially be considered a flaw and replaced it with the best that it could be.”

Carol laughed, though it sounded hollow. “I don’t think I’ve ever really talked about it, but everyone on Krypton looked related. Like, closely related. In Argo City, women all had light hair and blue eyes and the men had dark brown hair and grey eyes. In Kryptonopolis, where my mother’s parents were from, it was opposite. Men were blonde with blue eyes and the women had darker hair and brown eyes. Genetic manipulation at its finest. Everyone looked perfect. And perfect all looked similar”

“And Clark.”

“Uncle Jor-El and my father were Argo City, so dark brown hair. Aunt Lara, however, was from an outlying province. She and both of her parents had that black it’s almost blue in sunlight hair.” Her voice grew distant as Carol became lost in an apparent memory. “So beautiful. All of the girls around me had blonde hair. I remember playing with Aunt Lara’s black hair, wishing my golden locks would darken.”

“And you think that it’s this genetic Matrix birth that’s caused Sara to break up with you?”

Carol grinned, although Lois’ bluntness brought the redness back into her eyes. “In a roundabout way, yes. I’m not aging... and Sara is. She’s thirty-seven going on forty. And while she is beautiful, it’s now a woman’s beauty. She’s fought and been hurt, has scars and lines. Her face and body show a life lived...

“And I look like I’m just now getting ready to start a life”

“Carol.”

The tears began to fall down Carol’s perfect cheeks again. “This hasn’t been the only time we’ve been out as a couple and something has been said about the age difference. Last month when Sara skipped out on the Color Guard get together, it was because the night before a guy was hitting on me in front of her. A young guy that never even gave Sara a second glance.”

“I never thought Sara was so vain about her appearance.”

“Come on, Lois. You know her better than that. It’s not vanity, but it is a thing that she and you and everybody else has to consider some time. She’s getting older. You’re getting older. Lucy’s getting older. But I’m not getting older.”

“But to break up with you over something that’s not your fault...”

“And maybe that’s for the best. A reason for us to separate without hurtful words or actions. A way that, maybe one day, we can be friends again. And the memory of what we once were can be a happy one.”

“But, Carol...”

The younger woman shrugged her shoulders. “This way, maybe Sara can find someone to grow old with. To be that cute older couple that look like they fit.” Carol reached into her purse and pulled out two digi-frames and handed them to Lois. “The one in your right hand are pics from when we first got together...”

Lois glanced to her right hand. The digi-frame was cycling through various images of Carol and Sara together. Candid shots of the two of them, even a few as Green Lantern and White Canary. They looked like two twenty something girls in love. Without prompting, she moved her eyes to the left hand. 

There were a lot of similar poses. Two people laughing and in love, but the symmetry was off. Lois prided herself as a journalist in knowing how the backstory worked... even knowing how to tell a story just from a single photograph. It broke her heart to see that those digi-shots didn’t work as well as the others had. To Lois, who knew both of them, they belonged together. To a neutral observer, the two of them looked wrong. Sara looked well into her thirties, beautiful for sure, but in her thirties. 

And Carol looked like she could be her daughter. 

“Oh, baby.” Lois gave back the digi-frames and wiped at her own wet cheeks. 

Carol nodded. “So, we’re done. She’s moving out of the townhouse as we speak. I’m here so I don’t have to witness her packing up.”

“Do you want to stay here? For the night? Or, better yet, the week?”

She nodded as the sobs began. Lois could do nothing more than hug her as tightly as she could. They’d get through this one as well. She’d call Lucy in a little bit. They were due for some retail therapy anyway, the three Lane sisters. And it’s not like Carol couldn’t afford their spending a ginormous amount of money on frivolous things.

And chocolate. 

Lots and lots of chocolate. 

_______________________________________________________

 

Lois reminisced over those days following Sara and Carol’s breakup. There were the immediate ten days where she and Lucy kicked Clark out of the apartment and did the standard girlie breakup stuff. Shopping and junk food and sad movies. She says that she kicked Clark out of their home, but the truth was he ran faster than a speeding bullet to escape the estrogen filled living space. 

But Carol healed. It was decided that Green Lantern would be relocated out of Midway City, letting the Color Guard stay there and choose a new member, the roster of ever changing members on all of the various super teams almost becoming old hat. The latest line up being White Canary (back after a brief hiatus), Red Robin and Blue Beetle. And there was talk of Indigo joining later that year. And Green Lantern was off to Gateway City. 

Ah. A year in the life of a single, near immortal superhero. 

Lucy calls those first fourteen months of Carol Ferris being in Gateway City the “Year That Must Not Be Named or Eve Referred To Again. Ever”. Carol embraced the party girl attitude that they’d mistakingly added to her fictional backstory and made it true. It seemed like, at first, she was trying to emulate Bruce’s idea of a play girl about town... until Lucy walked in on Carol and her current conquest of the night in the act. Not playacting. Carol was “dating” anyone and everyone that’d say yes. And let’s face it, looking as good as she did, everyone was going to say yes.

Clark had even suspected Red-K for a while, but one of the benefits of the Green Lantern Ring was immunity to all forms of radiation, even that was no longer a threat to the beautiful young Kryptonian. So, everyone decided to let her get it all out of her system. They simply decided to wait for the fall. There was going to be a fall... probably a big one. There always was. 

The fall finally happened on a Sunday morning. Lucy had called Lois on a blessedly rare Sunday off, sharing it and a morning cup of coffee with her superhero husband, never suspecting that yet another change was coming.

_______________________________________________________

“Hey, Luce. What’s up? You calling to bail on poker night? Again?”  
No small talk. Her sister got straight to the point. “Carol needs me. Us.”

At those three - no, four words, Lois shifted into big sister mode. She idly noticed that Clark had set his coffee down on the table and was obviously listening in. She’d yell at him about that later. “What’s happened?”

“Carol slept with Lena Luthor last night.”

“Oh.” She ignored the sound of cracking wood. Lois glared at her husband, who at least had the decency to look guilty at the obvious crack he’d just made in the table. Damnit! She’d liked this table. It had been a gift from Martha. She’d make Smallville explain to his mother why they no longer had her wedding gift in the kitchen. 

“Yeah. Oh.” Lucy’s voice brought her back to the problem at hand.

“How?”

Lucy laughed. Hard. “How? Really? Carol’s been whoring it up all through Gateway City’s single female population for over a year now. Lena Luthor probably felt like her crown and title as the Whore of Babylon was being threatened and decided to scope out the competition. They met at a party last night, got stupid and then fell into bed together.”

Clark had walked away at this point. Good. Lois tried to gather her thoughts. “And she called you?”

“Hell no.” Lucy never cursed. The General thought it was beneath a lady’s dignity to use coarse language, which of course was why Lois used it in everyday speaking. Especially on the phone with her father. 

“I got a call from Barbara. She was visiting and saw the train wreck happen, but couldn’t stop it. She called me as soon as she could get my number.”

“Give me ten. I’ll get Clark to fly me out there. Do you want him to pick you up, too?”

“No.” Lucy sighed loudly into the phone. “I’m already booked on a flight. I should be touching ground at Gateway City in about forty-five minutes. I can be at Carol’s place by two. You want to meet me there around then?”

“I’ll bring the booze.”

“And I’ll pick up the chocolate.”

_______________________________________________________

And it had been every bit the shit storm that she’d predicted it was going to be. All of those old feelings were brought back up... everything that Carol slash Kara had long ago buried found its way out of the figurative trunk she’d locked it away in and had bubbled to the surface, back into the light of day. She and Lucy had to go through Lena’s betrayal all over again... which led to the always touchy subject of Alex. 

Alex Danvers, who was now married to a lovely woman named Jennifer... married two years ago, and had left an empty space next to her at the wedding, choosing to not have a maid of honor since the only person she wanted for that job was unavailable. The same Alex who had risen to director of operations of the Coast City office of STAR Labs and now had clearance for the multiverse portal, yet refused every time because the only version of Kara she wanted to see was hers and no other. The very same Alex that, along with her wife, had adopted a little girl that they named Karen... after her aunt that she’d never knowingly met, but had recently “won” a random lottery drawing that ensured she’d have money for college one day. Well, maybe more money than just for college, but her mothers didn’t need to know any of that yet. 

But it had been good. Carol sleeping with Lena had been the apparent slap to the face that was needed. It was only a weekend of support needed this time, and at the end of it, Carol decided to hang up for good her party dress and slut heels and get back to maybe trying to live her life right. 

Carol began aggressively funding several charities in the Gateway City area. The local and national media loved the bad girl doing right angle, offering a glimpse of a city ready to forgive a fallen party girl. It was enough for Carol to seek out Lena, but not as Kara... not yet... and help her straighten out the decade long bender she’d found herself stuck in. They formed a friendship, of sorts, though never to sleep together again after that unspoken of one night stand, and not as close as Kara and Lena had been, but both began making Gateway City and National City a better place.

It wasn’t long after Carol’s change for the better that Diana would come in and literally sweep Carol Ferris, once known as Kara Danvers, off her feet.

No chocolate needed. Life became wonderful. 

And with Wonder Woman by her side, she was even able to finally meet her niece, officially, for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read somewhere that the writers for DC Comics stated that the reason the power ring of Abin Sur didn't choose Clark Kent was because he wasn't human. Huh? Why would the ring care about that? It was for a position that covered more than Earth. Why would having powers outside of human capability make a difference? You'd think that the ring would choose the best, right? My green lantern ring chose the best. Who's better than Kara?

**Author's Note:**

> So there's that. 
> 
> I can honestly see more. A huge time jump; Alex and Lena and the rest of the National City crew living lives without Kara. Maybe then a third chapter seeing how Kara (with a new identity, maybe) is learning to exist and be happy away from everyone. 
> 
> And maybe a fourth chapter where maybe everyone finds happiness.. but my mood will need to change. 
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed this.


End file.
